Industry news & advice blog

Freight - ‘Ivory’

Warrington four-piece Freight are making waves with indie pop anthem ‘Ivory’, a catchy and nostalgic feeling track which outlines “the universal feeling of being in love and lost within a moment”.

Recorded at Lounge Studios in Wigan and produced by The K's producer Gaz Nuttall, the song is taken from their debut EP ‘Kaleidoscope’ which was unveiled last week, and notably celebrated with a stellar show at Manchester’s Lions Den on the same day.

The band have been picking up traction as the year rolls on with steadfast support from BBC Introducing in Merseyside who recently handpicked Freight to play at a showcase at The Cavern in Liverpool. Another major highlight for the band was supporting the K’s in Sunderland in November, “We first met the Ks guys two years ago at the Parr Hall and we said ‘one day we will open for them’ and getting to finally do that two years later was a full circle moment!!”

So, off to a flying start, it looks like 2026 could prove to be an even bigger year for Freight. With plans to record new music soon, “we are loving the new stuff that we’re writing, and playing live they’re getting a great reaction!”.

Keep an eye on the live circuit too as they have a stretch of support slots coming up in the new year; Alex Spencer in Manchester and Liverpool, and The Garage in London with the Lilacs. But before the year is out, you can catch Freight playing with The Zangwills at Jacaranda Baltic on 12th December, and Alright at Manchester’s Deaf Institute on 13th December.

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Young Tan - ‘Dance for the Gallery’

Hailing from Zimbabwe, UK-based rapper Young Tan serves his unique flavour of hip-hop on ‘Dance for the Gallery’, the second single to be taken from his upcoming EP ‘Evolve or Die’. He tells us more about his sound and how ‘Dance for the Gallery’ was inspired;

“My sound blends introspection with confidence, I call it modern renaissance music. It’s rooted in hip-hop and R&B, but I bring in cinematic textures, sleek minimalism, and conversational storytelling. It’s music for thinkers, dreamers, and people in motion — clean, emotional, and intentional.

‘Dance for the Gallery’ came from a space of reflection, it’s about the performance we all put on in life, the need for validation and the balance between being seen and being real. I wanted to explore that tension, sonically mixing a confident, sharp flow with moody, atmospheric production that still feels sleek and gallery-like. It’s both an observation and a statement piece.”

Welcomed back to perform at Godiva Festival two years in a row, Young Tan also has received ongoing praise and support from BBC Introducing who have given airplay to both singles from the forthcoming EP.

Speaking of which, ‘Evolve or Die’ is set to drop in March 2026 and, as Young Tan elaborates, “the project explores transformation, rebirth, and artistic growth.” The next single to come from it, ‘New Skin’ will drop in the new year, and keep an eye out for details of a release party and live show around the time the EP drops.

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Ro Nova - ‘Chase the Sadness’

London based electropop artist and producer Ro Nova fuses cyber pop and 80s electro on her latest track ‘Chase the Sadness’ which contrasts a sombre subject matter with buoyant beats and gossamer vocals.

“It’s about emotional addiction and not being able to let go, even though you should. It’s about wanting to feel something rather than nothing even if it’s not the right thing anymore. I wanted the upbeat 80s dance style to almost contradict the title - the verses are nostalgic and reflective but the choruses are about still holding on and getting lost in the feelings.”

Since the release of her debut single ‘do you think it’s fine?’ Ro Nova has been riding a wave of support from the likes of BBC Introducing, Kiss FM, Hoxton Radio, BBC Radio 1 and Reprezent Radio. She’s also featured on German act Schiller’s single ‘Illuminate’ which led to her joining them on an arena tour across Europe.

On home turf, Ro Nova has also made an impact at The Great Escape Festival, as well as a stand out performance at London’s Scala, and she is primed and ready for her debut headline show on 22nd January at SJQ Dalston.

With plenty of fresh material lined up, alongside accompanying music videos filmed all over the world whilst on tour, Ro Nova will be here to stay as she showers us with new music well throughout 2026.

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Toy Parlour - ‘Dead Inside’

Smashing onto the alt rock scene with show-stopping track ‘Dead Inside’, five-piece Toy Parlour’s heavy fuzz pop is turning heads. Already picking up airplay from BBC Introducing and various independent radio stations and blogs, it’s clear that the band have struck gold with this banger;

“We absolutely love this song, it came to us very easily and on a whim whilst writing another tune during a long weekend at Jonny's house demoing. Mid-take for something else, Rory came up with the main intro riff on the fly, and we all basically stopped what we were doing and turned that into the song almost instantly. Those songs are always the best.”

Whilst still being early days for the band, they certainly seem to have harnessed their live energy quickly, with their first show being a blistering set at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival.

The band have been spending time in the studio this Autumn, as they prepare to unleash their next wave of releases in the new year, but in the meantime they’re pleased with their progress so far; “We are just mega appreciative of the amount of people that have streamed, engaged or written about our songs already.”

And after finding their feet in 2025, it looks like we should prepare for a Toy Parlour takeover in the next 12 months; “Releases are going to be consistent and relentless, 2026 is the year we plan to really cement ourselves in the UK Alternative scene.”

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Sober Sundays - ‘Better Off’

Pivoting between restrained verses and feisty chorus, Bath five-piece Sober Sundays’ single ‘Better Off’ sits somewhere between reflection and release. Recorded at J&J Studios with Oli Baldwin (PJ Harvey, Squid, Get The Blessing, Dry Cleaning), the band tell us more about songs origins;

“Better Off” is about outgrowing the drama of young love. It traces that feeling of believing every relationship is the be-all and end-all, only to realise it’s not that deep and maybe you’re better off that way. It’s for anyone who remembers what it felt like to care too much, then finally stop. It was written in the hallway of a recording studio on an acoustic guitar. Two of us had been discussing a past relationship and how easy it is to dramatise it as an adolescent. ”

Combining influences such as Loyle Carner, early Arctic Monkeys, King Krule and Lausse the Cat, Sober Sundays are definitely injecting a broad scope of ingredients into their music. And they are keen to tell us that there’s plenty more new music on the horizon.

Big fans of playing live, having the chance to play at some of the UK’s most celebrated grassroots gig venues is a huge deal for the band; “Our biggest achievement so far is being able to play all over the country. We love playing live and it’s really what we look forward to most. Being able to play venues such as Thekla, Komedia, Notting Hill Arts Club and many more is an incredible experience.”

And they’ll see the year out doing what they love; on 13th December Sober Sundays have their biggest headline show to date at Rough Trade, Bristol with DHP Family, neatly tied-in with the release of their next single ‘I Beg Your Pardon’ on the same date, so make sure it’s marked in your diary!

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